Live Your Prayer

Author: Chrisma C. Bangaoil
We should become the prayer that we pray
Reflection Date: October 9, 2024 Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: Galatians 2:1-2, 7-14; Luke 11:1-4

Have you ever prayed but felt like you were just going through the motions? You finish the prayer, yet there's a lingering emptiness, as though the words failed to resonate. 

Why does this happen? When we are truly attuned to ourselves, we recognize that the first person who should be moved by our prayer is us. If our prayer doesn’t inspire us to live differently, we feel a disconnect—a sense that something is missing.

The first reading illuminates this gap between who we are called to be and how we actually live. St. Paul describes this inconsistency as hypocrisy. When we fail to live as God’s children, as we are meant to, we experience inner unrest, a deep-seated conflict. Our actions and our identity as believers fall out of sync, and this dissonance disturbs our spiritual life.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus shows us how to bridge this divide by teaching us to pray with purpose. He begins by calling us to acknowledge God’s holiness and power and to desire His Kingdom above all else. This invites us to align our lives with His will, striving to live in a way that honors His Kingdom.

Then, Jesus instructs us to ask for what we need—not in excess or selfishness, but trusting that God will provide what is truly necessary. This teaches us to rely on God, rather than accumulating more than we require.

Finally, we are reminded of our own sinfulness and need for God’s grace. As recipients of His mercy, we are called to extend that same mercy to others, living out the love and forgiveness that we have received.

Call to Action for Catholic Living:  we are encouraged to let our prayers shape our hearts and guide our actions. When our prayers and lives are fully aligned, we don’t just say the words—we live them. It is in this union that we truly pray.